Sincerely, The Stalker
by Jay Bird12
Summary: See what happens when two new young men move to Flowerbud Village and some odd things start happening to Ann. Told from Ann's POV
1. Chapter 1, The First Note

Sincerely, The Stalker  
  
Chapter 1 The First Note  
  
My name is Ann. I'm just like any other 17 year old girl. Well-I guess I am a little tomboyish but that's beside the point. My hometown is Flowerbud Village where I live with my Dad and my brother, Gray.  
  
At least I used to just be a normal girl like that. But then those . . . things started happening. I guess I better start my story from the beginning. . .  
  
* * *  
  
It was Spring 3, and I woke up with a start as Gray shook me. I sat up and blinked.  
  
"What's the emergency?" I asked him, wondering if there was something wrong.  
  
He shook his head signifying nothing was wrong. He doesn't talk much, not even around his own sister. I looked at the calendar and remembered what day it was. Today the new farmer guy was coming to town. I jumped up and quickly got dressed before rushing out the door and going down to the beach to join everyone else.  
  
I went to stand over next to my best friend Karen. Even though we lived closest to the beach, I seemed to be the last one that had arrived to greet the boat.  
  
"Hey, Karen, sleep well last night?" I asked boredly.  
  
She just looked at me and raised her eyebrows, as if not believing what I had just asked her.  
  
"Are you still asleep or something? That's the kind of thing I would ask when I'm drunk!"  
  
We both laughed but we were cut short by the loud booming of the ferry's horn sounding, signifying they would be docking in about 5 minutes. Everybody grew silent as we waited for the large boat to make its way to shore.  
  
The boat finally docked and a boy who looked about my age stepped off. He had chestnut brown hair and a matching shade of eyes. He wore a baseball cap backward with two tufts of hair stuck out of, revealing his hair color. He had on regular farming clothes-overalls, plain shirt, gloves, boots-but somehow they looked a little different.  
  
As I walked up to greet him, I was suddenly filled with dread. I didn't know why but something just seemed to be wrong about him. When I finally got up to him I looked at him more closely.  
  
"Uh. . .hi?" he said to me, waving a bit.  
  
I blinked. I must have gone into some sort of a trance for a second. The feeling I had had before was gone. He seemed nice enough and he was also pretty cute.  
  
"Oh, sorry," I began, "my name is Ann. Welcome to Flowerbud Village!" I smiled cheerfully.  
  
He seemed to blush a little before he said the next thing to me.  
  
"Uh . . . nice to meet you . . . uhm . . . Ann" he stuck out a shaking hand.  
  
I shook it and smiled. We both blushed a little bit. [Man that guy must have a major crush on me] I thought to myself. And I had just met him too!  
  
The next few weeks went on normally. I would do everything I would usually do; Jack would stop by and flirt with me now and again. But then it was Spring 18. A new guy turned up on Jack's doorstep. His name was Cliff and he was a wandering guy. I met him the next day.  
  
I was in the mountains gathering some things for my Dad when I saw someone staring at me. I jumped up, a bit surprised and dropped everything I had been carrying. The guy quickly rushed over and began to help me.  
  
I looked over at him quickly to see who he was. He had brown hair that was in a ponytail and separated into 5 sections of bangs in the front. His head was down so I couldn't see much else about him. I suddenly got the same feeling that I had gotten when I first met Jack. Was it just me or was I getting this feeling a lot more often? We both bent down to reach the same thing and our hands touched. We both looked up at each other in surprise and both blushed. I saw that he had amber brown eyes that went well with his hair.  
  
When we both finally stood up he introduced himself.  
  
"Hi, name's Cliff. And you?" he said to me, extending his hand.  
  
"My name's Ann. Nice to meet you." I took his hand with my free one and we didn't even shake. We just stood there like that, looking at one another for a few minutes before I finally pulled away blushing.  
  
"Sorry, I have to get going. I have to give this stuff to my Dad . . . I'll see you around Cliff." I told him as I began walking away. He might have nodded but I couldn't see.  
  
That was when the trouble started. From that day on, not only would Jack come to flirt with me but Cliff would too. And when one saw me flirting with the other (say they just happened to come at the same time) they'd be furious. And then I began to get a feeling that everywhere I went, somebody was following me.  
  
But the feelings weren't nearly the worst part. One night-Spring 22nd, the day before the goddess festival-I got an eerie note on my bed.  
  
It read this:  
  
My angel Ann-  
  
Tomorrow is the goddess festival. You will dance with me and not the other. If you don't, you may see some serious consequences. Oh, and cut the flirting with him as well-you know only I really love you. I will see you there tomorrow my fair angel.  
  
Sincerely, The Stalker.  
  
All the color drained from my face. There was somebody following me- stalking me! But who was it-Jack or Cliff?  
  
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A/N: Yes, I'm back with another story. I ditched my other "writing project" because it was really boring compared to writing HM fics. Also, this idea has been floating around in my head for about 2 months now and I wanted to get started on it. I already know most of the storyline, so I should be able to update pretty quickly. ALSO-I discontinued Life Goes On. My sincerest apologies to everyone that was in it. It just was too original and not HMish enough. 


	2. Chapter 2, The Goddess Festival

Chapter 2 The Goddess Festival  
  
The next morning I woke up, elated that it was finally the day of the goddess festival. But then I remembered the note I had found the night before. I shivered and considered my options.  
  
I could tell my Dad about the note. I could tell Gray about the note. I could not tell anybody about the note and not go to the festival. I could go to the festival and dance with Jack. Or, I could go to the festival and dance with Cliff.  
  
One thing was for certain. Nobody could know about this note. Ever. My eyes grew wide as another thought struck me. What if he was watching me right now? I glanced out my window and could have sworn I saw a flash of brown hair. But it might have just been paranoia. And besides brown hair didn't mean anything, they both had it.  
  
I had decided to go to the festival, so I began to get my dress on. I looked at my reflection in my mirror and stuck my tongue out. I wasn't the goddess, so why did I have to wear a stupid dress anyway?  
  
On the way to the festival I began to think more about who my stalker might be. It might be Jack because he would be jealous of Cliff coming and trying to 'steal' me from him. Or it could be Cliff because I don't know much about him. He seems mysterious enough to be a stalker, and if Jack was my stalker wouldn't he have started stalking me before Cliff came?  
  
I walked into the festival and got into my position just as Popuri, Karen, Elli, and I were supposed to begin sprinkling flower petals over Maria-the goddess. After the procession was done it was time to choose our dancing partners. Cliff and Jack both rushed over to me but Cliff got there first.  
  
"Will you dance?" he asked me, extending his hand.  
  
I nodded in reply and took his outstretched hand, shaking a bit from nervousness. What if Cliff wasn't the stalker and Jack did something because I danced with Cliff instead of him? About halfway through the song I pulled away from Cliff.  
  
"Sorry, I-I promised Jack I would dance with him as well." I stuttered. He nodded, but he looked hurt.  
  
Jack immediately saw us come apart and made his way over to me. He didn't even have to say anything. We danced for the rest of the song but then Jack left as soon as the song was done. The rest of the villagers stayed for about a half hour more. Well almost all of them anyway. Gray never comes to this festival, and Cliff had disappeared after the dance.  
  
I suddenly got very nervous. What if the stalker was angry that I danced not only with him but with the other as well? What if he was doing something right now that would be a 'serious consequence' for me?  
  
I began to run down the steps to get away from the square but I stumbled in my dress and fell down the last three, badly bruising my left knee and giving me a large gash in my right shin from a rock I had landed on. I winced in pain as I tried to stand up.  
  
In a few minutes I was able to stand up, and was glad that nobody had seen me fall. I looked around just in case somebody *had* been watching. I thought I heard a rustle in the bushes but it was probably just a chipmunk or something, right? Other than that there was nobody in sight. I slowly began to hobble towards the ranch, and was grateful when I finally reached the gatepost.  
  
Suddenly I heard somebody call my name, and turned to see Cliff come running up from behind me. How convenient . . . a little too convenient.  
  
"Cliff, what are you doing here?" I questioned suspiciously.  
  
He looked a little embarrassed as he pulled out a small bouquet of flowers from behind his back. He handed them to me, blushing.  
  
"I was going to give these to you after our dance but. . ." he trailed off. "So I decided to see if you had come home yet. Guess I had perfect timing, huh?"  
  
I smiled even though I was still in pain from my stumble on the steps. I gratefully accepted the flowers but began to ponder if it was just a coincidence that he was here at the right time, or if he had been following me.  
  
"Thanks Cliff, I guess I'll see you around sometime." he nodded and walked off.  
  
As soon as Cliff was gone, I was greeted by Jack. He must have been at the beach for something because he came from my right. But why would Jack have been at the beach?  
  
"Hi, Jack, what's up?" I asked, trying to keep from looking too suspicious of him.  
  
He just shrugged before saying, "Not much but the sky, Ann."  
  
His face then broke into a huge grin as he let out a little laugh at his own joke. I tried to laugh but couldn't even fake one. It came out sounding more like a mix between a cough and a sneeze. His face fell a little seeing as he hadn't made me laugh.  
  
"Well, I'll be seeing you around I guess, babe, right?" he questioned, raising his eyebrows.  
  
I shrugged and then I saw his glove, it looked a little red. Had he cut his hand on something? It was weird, both of hem showing up right after one another. I shrugged it off. It must have been a coincidence for one of them.  
  
After Jack walked away I walked into my room to get changed. I opened the door and was greeted by a gruesome sight. On my wall, written in blood were the words, "ONLY I LOVE YOU" and net to it a small red heart. It was still dripping wet. I began to shake uncontrollably and as I looked at my floor, I let out a piercing shriek.  
  
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A/N: You don't get anything if you can guess what she sees . . . as if I haven't made it obvious enough with one line already. Oh, and NO GUESSING WHO THE STALKER IS from this point on. You'll ruin the fun if everyone starts believing it from one person's review. So, keep it to yourself. Please and Thank You! 


	3. Chapter 3, Suspicions

Chapter 3 Suspicions  
  
Gray was lying on the floor, covered in blood. I quickly rushed over to him to see if he was still alive. A sob caught in my throat when I saw the look in his eyes, the look of fear and death.  
  
So this had been the serious consequence? A murder, just because I danced with somebody else? From that moment on, I swore that I would catch my stalker and avenge Gray. And hopefully not let anybody else get hurt because of me.  
  
A few minutes later my Dad came in and as I sobbed uncontrollably into him, I told him that somebody had broken into the house and hurt Gray while we were gone and he had bled to death. Of course I had no idea what had really happened, but I didn't want him to know about my stalker or think that I had killed my own brother. Luckily the blood was still wet, so I had been able to wash it off the wall before he came home.  
  
The funeral was three days later and Cliff and Jack both showed up with flowers and kind words. But one of them didn't seem to feel as sorry as they should have. Or maybe the other one was putting up and act and being overly sorry . . . I couldn't tell.  
  
The night after the funeral I lie awake in my bed and could have sworn I heard somebody standing next to my bed and breathing. I sat up and looked around before saying loudly enough to be heard through the room,  
  
"Come out, Jack, or Cliff, or whoever you are! Why won't you just show yourself and leave me alone?"  
  
I choked back a sob, when I was done, tears beginning to form behind my eyes. I watched something float down from my ceiling and land on the end of my bed. I quickly snatched it up, turning on my bedside lamp. It was another note.  
  
This one read:  
  
Darling Ann-  
  
I would love to reveal myself to you but then I wouldn't make a very good stalker would I? If you want to avoid any more trouble, stay inside. That way you can't mess up again.  
  
Sincerely, The Stalker  
  
I ripped up the note into hundreds of tiny pieces and laughed. That would show him what I thought of listening to a word he said. I decided to pay a visit to both boys tomorrow morning. I eventually fell into a fitful sleep, ever aware of the presence of somebody else in my room with me.  
  
The next morning as soon as I got up I made my way over to Jack's farm. I knocked on his door and backed off a few steps, waiting for him to emerge. He finally came out, looking surprised as he saw me.  
  
"Uh, hey Ann!" he said to me.  
  
I raised my left eyebrow, something I have a habit of doing, as he said that. He seemed too surprised. I cleared my throat before saying to him,  
  
"Hello, Jack. Can I see your left hand for a second?"  
  
He hesitated for a second and then stuck out his white gloved hand. I removed the glove, and saw that there was no cut on his hand, nothing that would have made him bleed the day before.  
  
"Thanks Jack, that's all that I wanted to see" I said coldly, making my way towards the mountains to find Cliff.  
  
When I finally found Cliff, I walked over to him, smiling-well, trying to anyway. He saw me coming and his eyes lit up as he came over to me.  
  
"Hey Ann!" he greeted me. I waved back in mock friendliness. I still had to think of something that might let me know who my stalker truly was. I had a strange feeling that it was Jack, but then again, Cliff was a wild, wandering. . .dude.  
  
"Hey, Cliff! What are you up to right now?" I asked him, wanting to see if he was involved in an activity or if he could have been following me around. . .  
  
"Well, you see, actually. . .nothing right now." Aha! So he could have been following me. I turned to him, ready to question him about a few other things, but he had vanished. My face turned hot in anger and embarrassment as I stomped back to the ranch.  
  
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A/N: Yes, horrible chapter...horribly short. Sorry it couldn't have been better but I was away for most of my break and didn't get much time to write...the next chapter will probably be the last... I'm running out of ideas for this story and have another one in my head. =) 


	4. Chapter 4, Revealings

Chapter 4 Revealings  
  
Later that afternoon, after helping my Dad with some of the chores around the ranch, I decided to go into my room and freshen up a bit. I was going to spend the night over at Karen's house to try and get away from 'him'. Karen had been the only one I had told, so I was hoping that she wouldn't get drunk and blab it to somebody, because it would get around the whole village in about 5 minutes, and I didn't want that attention.  
  
I stepped into my room, and flicked on the light switch and smiled as I looked around. Everything seemed normal except. . .I looked over in the corner of my room and saw Cliff, hanging!  
  
I quickly ran over and let out a shaky sigh as I realized it was only a dummy. I then saw a note in the noose, and snatched it out. I unfolded it and read:  
  
Ann-  
  
If you don't want this to happen, you had better do what I say. Come down to the beach tonight, take the attached ticket, and sail away with me to the city. There is a late-night ferry coming in. . .Once we reach the city we shall be married there.  
  
Sincerely, The Stalker  
  
P.S. This does not automatically make me Jack. I could be Cliff considering suicide. . .  
  
By this time all of the color in my face was gone. I dropped the note and saw the ferry ticket flutter out of it. I gasped for air and suddenly fainted.  
  
* * *  
  
As I sit here now, about an hour after having fainted, I begin to wonder how this story will turn out. (A/N: If you're confused, look at the way I started the first chapter)  
  
Well, let's look at my options now:  
  
I go to Karen's house, ignore the stalker and Cliff dies.  
  
I go on the ferry, reveal who my stalker is, move away with him and get married.  
  
I sneak down to the beach, see who it is before they can see me, get help from the other guy, and bust my stalker, making him leave. . .  
  
I choose option 3. I look at the clock and see it's already 8:00. The note didn't say when the ferry was coming; it just said late-night.  
  
"Well, wish me luck!" I say to nobody in particular as I start my trek down to the beach.  
  
I wake up two hours later, I had been asleep next to the fence that overlooks the beach and had just heard somebody talking.  
  
I look over to the side and spot Jack, and behind him is Cliff. Well, actually he's leading Cliff on a rope that has been tied around him, binding his arms to his sides. He is also gagged, and struggling to get free. Well, that screws my plan for getting his help!  
  
Thinking fast, I quickly step in front of them, blocking the way to the beach. Cliff's eyes go wide; obviously he doesn't know why he is being brought here. Jack just smirks.  
  
"So, you've come. I knew you would, you couldn't risk the thought of Cliff being hurt."  
  
I narrow my eyes into slits as I pull the ferry ticket out of my pocket.  
  
"I'll give you two options, Jack. You let him go, or I rip the ticket. Oh, and I doubt that the ferry will be picking up anybody else, so they won't leave until at least one person gets on." I say glaring at him.  
  
Jack lets go of the rope that he had been leading Cliff by, and looks at me expectantly.  
  
"Untie him, and take that tape off his mouth." I say through clenched teeth.  
  
Jack obliged, and as soon as Cliff was free, I ripped my ticket into tiny pieces. Jack's eyes grew wide in terror.  
  
"Y-you tricked me! You lied, that's not fair!" he stammers, realizing what he would have to do now.  
  
"Well, seeing as you stalked me, lied to me, killed my brother, and were going to kill Cliff, I think I have the right to tell a little white lie. Bon Voyage, Jack!" I yell, seeing the ferry pull into the port.  
  
Cliff gives him a shove from behind, and he goes tumbling down onto the beach, lying dazed in the sand. I smile, glad that he was taken care of, and look to Cliff. We both smile and blush a little, and I begin to wonder what a new tomorrow will bring. . .  
  
THE END  
  
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A/N: Yes, pretty short, I know, and it may have been a little confusing as to how I switched from her telling what happened to where she actually was now. But remember, I started the story by saying, I'm Ann, blah, blah, blah, let's start from the beginning. Yeah. . .AND I WROTE THIS CHAPTER IN 1 DAY! Yayness! It's amazing what a boring Sunday can do to you. Um, I hope none of my faithful viewers are offended by shounen ai because my next story will have some in it 


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